The present invention relates to in-line skates, and in particular to in-line skates wherein the boot size is adjustable to accommodate different sizes.
In-line skating is currently enjoying a tremendous popularity. In addition to be enjoyable exercise for adults, children have increasingly begun to participate in in-line skating.
In order to provide a one size fits all in-line skate for adults, as well as a skate which will accommodate a foot of a growing child, expanding skates have been developed. This type of in-line skate eliminates the need to re-purchase skates for a child""s growing foot, or the struggle to find a skate which fits a variety of adult foot sizes.
In the past, this expansion capability was accomplished by adjusting the boot portion of the skate. Specifically, the boot was adjusted by sliding the toe portion of the skate with respect to the heel portion of the skate and having an oversized liner which would expand or contract to adjust to the boot size selected.
This expansion style, however, did not adjust the wheel frame portion of the skate. Instead, the wheel spacing was the same regardless of the adjustment to the boot portion. Thus, when the boot portion of the skate was expanded, the boot length increased with respect to the wheel base length. Therefore, for a longer boot accommodating a larger foot, less support was provided by the wheel base.
On the other hand, when the boot portion was contracted to accommodate a smaller foot, the boot length decreased with respect to the wheel base length. Thus, when a smaller boot was needed to accommodate a smaller person, the wheel base was oversized and unwieldy. Prior expansion skates traded performance for expansion capability.
Other art exists where the skate support may be expanded by sliding a single wheel on the wheel base away from the remaining wheels. This type of skate design is problematic for performance issues. Skates which expand along the boot, but expand the wheel base disproportionately to the expansion of the boot result in an improperly balanced skate. Expanding the boot size disproportionately from the wheel base again results in inadequate support for the foot. Low performance by the skate results as well as an increase in the possibility for injury to the wearer.
Additionally, the prior art utilizes tracks mounted under the sole of the foot to provide for expansion of the wheel. This style of design can be problematic when designing boots to conform to a foot since the addition of a track defines the sole of the boot. Adjustment can also be difficult, since the expansion means are under the wearer""s foot, limiting accessibility.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an adjustable fit in-line skate that utilizes an expansion configuration which expands the wheel base proportionately to the boot when the boot size is expanded and decreases the wheel base proportionately to the boot when the boot size is decreased.